Tom Kean

The state treasurer said today that revenues have come in 3.1 percent below projections so far this year. If collections continue at that pace, the state will have a $1 billion deficit this year. The estimated budget deficit for next year is $8 billion to $10 billion. The governor is again doing too little. too late, then calling himself a man of action.

Since 1961, the New York Times has endorsed the winner in nine of the last twelve campaigns for Governor of New Jersey.   They have also backed incumbents in each of the last six races where a sitting Governor sought re-election, including their support of Gov. Jon Corzine, and have backed Democrats nine times and Republicans three times.

In races where incumbents were seeking second terms, the New York Times endorsed Christine Todd Whitman in 1997, James Florio in 1993, Thomas Kean in 1985, Brendan Byrne in 1977,and Richard Hughes in 1965.  Florio, Byrne and Hughes were Democrats; Whitman and Kean were Republicans.  Only Florio was defeated; he lost to Whitman.

In contests for open seats, the New York Times backed Corzine in 2005, James E. McGreevey in 2001, Florio in 1989, Kean in 1981, Byrne in 1973, Robert Meyner in 1969, and James Mitchell in 1961.  Kean and Mitchell were Republicans.  Meyner, a former  two-term Governor seeking a comeback, and Mitchell, who was U.S. Secretary of Labor in the Eisenhower administration, were defeated.  Meyner lost to William Cahill and Hughes defeated Mitchell.

Gov. Jon Corzine enters the final weeks of his re-election campaign with an upside-down 39%-56% job approval rating.  For comparison purposes, Gov. Christine Todd Whitman was at 53%-43% when she was narrowly re-elected twelve years ago.  New Jersey's last two Governors were popular on Election Day - Richard Codey had a job approval of 68%-16% in 2005, and Donald DiFrancesco was at 60%-14% in 2001 - but they were not candidates for re-election. (These are all Quinnipiac numbers)

One comparison for Corzine and Republican Christopher Christie could be the 2006 U.S. Senate race between Democrat Robert Menendez and Republican Thomas Kean, Jr., which was fought against the backdrop of ethics issues and a strong political environment.  In an October 12 Quinnipiac poll, Menendez led Kean 49%-45%.  Menendez, who had been appointed to the Senate ten months earlier, had split favorables: 32%-32%; Kean, the son of a popular former governor, was at 34%-18%.

Frank Esposito, a longtime college history professor, is independent Chris Daggett's running mate

NORTH ARLINGTON -- Independent lieutenant governor candidate Frank Esposito says there's an idea out there about him that's just not accurate.

"The illusion that was reflected in one of the questions at the debate - that I'm this kind of ivory tower academic who knows nothing about politics - is a false perception that has deliberately been created," he said.  .

Esposito, 68, is a history professor at Kean University and a former interim president there.  A lifelong New Jerseyan who grew up in Ocean City, Esposito has never run for elected office at any level before, but he worked for two years as an assistant commissioner of education under Gov. Tom Kean - where he met his current running mate, Christopher Daggett -- and later spent two years in the Christie Whitman administration working the Charter School Act of 1995. 

Writing and passing that charter school legislation took bipartisan cooperation, Esposito said, with people like former Senate Education Chair Jack Ewing (R-Peapack-Gladstone) and state Sen. Bernard Kenny (D-Hoboken). 

Nevertheless, that inside politics experience has not yet translated to a high public profile.  
A recent Monmouth University poll showed that 93% of likely voters either had not heard of Esposito or did not know enough to form a judgment, but Esposito says people have started to recognize him since Thursday night's televised lieutenant governor debate.

Still, Esposito remains the most obscure of the six gubernatorial and lieutenant governors who are, at least in the eyes of the Election Law Enforcement Commission, considered viable. 

This morning, Esposito stumped at a senior center in North Arlington - a crucial blue collar swing town in the state's biggest swing county.  About 25 seniors listened to him - mostly politely - although some chatted and two women played cards in the back of the room. 

Superior Court Judge Gerald Council faces an ethics complaint for releasing his second cousin, Celeste Jones, from jail last December.  Jones, who was being held on aggravated assault charges, is the granddaughter of Jones's uncle.  She was released on her own recognizance.

According to published reports, Council recused himself when he released it was his cousin appearing before him on a video conference from the county jail.  But when the prosecutor explained that the charges had been reduced to simple assault, and that the holiday schedule would otherwise require her to stay in jail for several extra days, he approved her release.

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean said Governor Corzine’s published comments on school aid in today’s Star-Ledger are worrisome. The Governor thinks he can save $500 million by not providing enough money in the 2010-2011 budget to meet the school funding formula, the newspaper said. In the current year, Governor Corzine underfinanced the school funding formula by $300 million.

“Governor Corzine made promises on school funding to the citizens of New Jersey and the New Jersey Supreme Court that he has not kept,” said Kean. “The lack of state aid will translate into school property tax increases across most of New Jersey.”

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Publicly, Senate Republicans are saying they have voted to support Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) for Senate President, but privately it became clear in a private meeting of the GOP caucus today that there is no support for any deal to help Richard Codey (D-Roseland) forge a bi-partisan coalition to win re-election as Senate President.  Indeed, more than half of the seventeen Republican Senators seem to prefer Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford), the current Majority Leader, sources say.

Kean was unopposed for re-election as the Senate Republican Leader.  Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford), who ousted an incumbent in the Republican primary last June and is the likely winner in next month's special election for an unexpired term, participated in the Republican meeting. (He abstained on the vote for Kean.)  Joseph Adolf, the Republican Senate candidate in the District 6 special election, was not invited to attend the Senate GOP reorganization meeting and strategy session.  Few Republicans expect Adolf to oust incumbent James Beach (D-Voorhees).

After participating in a morning caucus meeting in Trenton, Senate Republicans announced today that they have unanimously voted to support Sen. Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield) for senate president.

"People are looking for change in Trenton, and our caucus is united and determined to provide real alternatives to the governor's failed policies that will create jobs and make our state more affordable for everyone," Kean said in a release, thanking his 16 fellow caucus members for their support.

The announcement gives Kean 17 votes, versus 14 publicly committed Democratic caucus votes in favor of Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for the position.

"We have 17," said Kean. "We have the most votes for senate president of any of the contenders, and our goal as a caucus is to get across the finish line."

The question now is where the eight supporters of sitting Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) will go: to the member of their own party who built a coalition to force their champion from power, or across the aisle to support a Republican.

The Senate Republican caucus announced today that they have unanimously voted to keep their strong leadership team in place for the next year. In addition, the senators also unanimously agreed to cast their votes for Senator Kean as the next Senate president.

The Senate Republican caucus is meeting at 9AM this morning in Trenton.  On the agenda: the upcoming lame duck legislative session, and the battle for Senate President between Democrats Richard Codey (D-Roseland) and Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).  Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) said last Friday that he has not closed the door on a deal to keep Codey in power; he has said that he wants the seventeen Republican Senators to vote as a block.  Kean is expected to hear from at least six GOP Senators that a deal to re-elect Codey is not an option.  Senate Minority Whip Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove), Sweeney's unofficial emissary to the Republican caucus, is expected to oppose any effort by Republicans to interfere with the Democratic leadership contests.